National Resource Network – New Solutions For Cities

After a year of planning, I am pleased to let you know about today’s launch of the National Resource Network. Funded with $10 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Network is one of the greatest attempts ever to create a single, comprehensive resource and point of contact for cities seeking customized ideas and support to tackle their most pressing challenges.

Starting today, cities everywhere can tap into an array of curated resources through the Network’s web site (www.nationalresourcenetwork.org). The site offers a library of best practices and tool kits; a blog focused on proven policy solutions; and the first attempt to bring together the full range of federal technical assistance resources into one searchable format. Perhaps most exciting is the “311 for Cities” feature, which offers on-demand access to expertise and assistance. Starting with a pilot group of 50 cities—and growing to hundreds more—public officials will be able to e-mail questions to the Network and receive tailored responses within three business days.

Additionally, the Network will provide on-the-ground support to at least 10 cities in its first year, with dozens of additional cities to be assisted in subsequent years. Teams of public and private sector experts will work side-by-side with city leaders for up to 12 months to develop and implement economic turnaround plans. Three cities (Fall River, MA; Kansas City, KS; and Miami, FL) and a region encompassing several cities in and around Los Angeles, CA (Compton, CA and Lynwood, CA) have already begun engagements.

This is an exciting new enterprise and I’m proud to represent New York University in it. I hope there are opportunities for us to partner around the Network’s development. Please keep up with the Network by following it on Twitter at: @NatlResourceNet. Please also feel free to contact me directly.

Webinars

Join in at: https://join.me/openplans | The dial-in number for Canada and USA is 1-888-426-6840. The passcode is 836 2524. Please ignore the JoinMe telephone service. This is an approximate bi-weekly series during the academic year. For other countries please see the list.